Today Idol headlines after the jump ¦
Today in history – Oct. 7
…Today’s Birthdays: Singer Al Martino is 80. Retired South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu is 76. Former National Security Council aide Oliver North is 64. Rock musician Kevin Godley (10cc) is 62. Country singer Kieran Kane is 58. Singer John Mellencamp is 56. Rock musician Ricky Phillips is 56. Actress Mary Badham is 55. Actress Christopher Norris is 54. Rock musician Tico Torres (Bon Jovi) is 54. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma is 52. Gospel singer Michael W. Smith is 50. Recording executive and TV personality Simon Cowell (“American Idol”) is 48. Rock musician Charlie Marinkovich (Iron Butterfly) is 48. Country singer Dale Watson is 45. Pop singer Ann Curless (Expose) is 44. Rhythm-and-blues singer Toni Braxton is 40. Rock singer-musician Thom Yorke (Radiohead) is 39. Rock musician-dancer Leeroy Thornhill is 38. Actress Nicole Ari Parker is 37. Rock singer-musician Damian Kulash is 32. Singer Taylor Hicks (“American Idol”) is 31…..
Pregnant pause for star four
No Idol worship
HE’S the fourth most successful American Idol contestant ever but, strangely, Chris Daughtry wants to distance himself from the show.
His band, Daughtry, topped the Billboard charts and sold more than one million copies of their self-titled debut album in the first five weeks of going on sale.
“I want people to know us for our music and not American Idol, ” Daughtry said in Sydney recently.
Canadian crooner enjoys U.S. success
A winning mix of personality, timing and talent pays off for Michael Buble.
…So how did Buble’s third album, Call Me Irresponsible, hit No. 1? Buble (boo-BLAY, it’s Italian, not French) will tell you it’s because of career momentum. Adams told us in an e-mail it’s because Buble is a good singer. Music marketing experts will tell you it’s because of a one-two punch: appearing on American Idol and Oprah.
“I was so [bleep-y] on Idol that I think it would be the opposite, ” Buble says with a hearty laugh. “There were probably 80, 000 people about to buy the record who went ‘Oh, he’s really not that good.’ “
Joy Division is multiplying
Nearly 30 years after the death of leader Ian Curtis, pop culture is rediscovering the onetime gloom-rockers in a big way.
…Tom Atencio has managed New Order in North America for more than 20 years in addition to administering Joy Division’s catalog on this continent and executive producing “Joy Division.” He places the band’s purity of purpose against the disposable nature of most pop music today.
“We live in a time of ‘American Idol’ where, if you’re a kid, you are being force fed pop music that is a direct descendant of a hit from six months ago, ” Atencio said. “Yet here’s a band you could trust. They weren’t seeking the idolatry of a rock stage. This music was something they needed to express.
“Then there’s something so moving in the sound of the music that people just want to identify with. Something in Ian’s deeply felt lyrics and delivery that’s unbelievably honest. It’s that dog whistle of instant recognition — in an era of branding, here’s a brand you can trust.”…
Star is rising for ‘Idol’ star
One day you’re working as a pharmacy clerk, swiping people’s debit cards as they buy various pills and creams and whatnot.
And what seems like the next day — although it’s really more like two years — you’re waking up to the sound of your hit song on the radio.
If you’re Elliott Yamin, that’s the way life has gone since he mustered up the courage to audition for “American Idol” for the 2005 season. He finished third behind Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks……..
LaToya London, Jeannette Bayardelle star in ‘The Color Purple’
LaToya London recently took a two-day break from her role as Nettie in the Chicago production of “The Color Purple” to visit her alma mater, Skyline High School in Oakland, in the company of Alice Walker, author of the best-selling 1982 novel on which the 1985 motion picture and current stage musical are based. The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer is sponsoring an essay contest for middle, junior and high school students throughout the Bay Area, with winners receiving tickets to the show, which opens Tuesday and runs through Dec. 9 at the Orpheum Theatre.
London, who came to national attention in 2004 as a finalist on “American Idol, ” had seen the movie and read parts of the book as a child in Oakland……..
Kearney vs. Yamin: And the winner is …
I threw out this question in my “Going Gonzo” Web log a couple of days ago:
Who should I go see in concert Monday night? Mat Kearney, who performs at Hope College’s Dimnent Chapel, or former “American Idol” contestant Elliott Yamin, who performs at The Intersection.
I said I was leaning toward Mat Kearney, singer/songwriter best known for his hit singles “Undeniable” and “Nothing left to Lose.” He seems like a pretty cool guy, and I saw him open for John Mayer earlier this year and he put on a heck of a show.
As for Elliott, The Press already is sending another reporter to cover that show. So, we don’t need two reporters at the same show. But I really want to see the show.
Well, I was surprised at the number of responses I received from readers…..
‘American Idol’ Auditions Return To Omaha
The pressure was on for some Metro singers at the second round of American Idol auditions in Omaha…
